Self-energizing clutch



Dec. 15, 1964 R. J. MALCHODI SELF-ENERGIZING CLUTCH .5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 3, 1962 INVENTOR.

ROBERT J. MALCHODI Dec. 15, 1964 R. J. MALCHODI 3,161,272

SELF-ENERGIZING CLUTCH Filed May I5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3O INVENTOR.

ROBERT J. MALCHODI BY ifima 4;, flfl wm 1M ATTOR NEY5.

Dec. 15, 1964 R. J. MALCHODI 3,151,272

' SELF-ENERGIZING CLUTCH Filed May 3, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F ig. 6

INVENTOR.

ROBERT J. MALCHODI BY 1.} 3223A I 4.1 @MJQLJQM.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,161,272 SELF-ENERGlZENG CLUTH Robert J. Malchodi, Baltimore, Md assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the ecretary of the Army Filed May 3, 1%2, Ser. No. 1%,ZM 6 Claims. (Cl. 1192-44) This invention relates to a clutch mechanism and more particularly concerns such a device which is self-energized upon rotation of the power drive shaft and releasable by solenoid action.

In applications such as aircraft canopy removing and the like, clutches of the magnetic or friction type are use to the near-exclusion of others. Commercial magnetic clutches are generally excessively large for the space limitations provided for such devices while the friction type requires greater forces to render them operable than desirable. Neither condition is expedient in todays aircraft.

Accordingly, it is a broad object of my invention to provide a clutch which overcomes these disadvantages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clutch readily adaptable to such applications as aircraft canopy removing and the like and yet is small in size, light in Weight and reliable in operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a clutch which is completely self-energizable and releasable upon solenoid actuation.

The exact nature of this invention as well as other objects and advanages thereof will be readily apparent from consideration of the following specification relating to the annexed drawings wherein like reference numerals desi nate like parts throughout the figures and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 2ill of FIG. 2 and showing a preferred form of my invention, the cam being omitted for purposes of clarity.

FIG. 2 is a section substantially along line 22 of RIG. 1, one of the clutch shoe assemblies being shown in phantom lines and the backup plate, drum and output shaft omitted for purposes of clarity of illustration.

FIG. 2a is a plan view of one of the two shoe assemblies shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation taken substantially along line 3-3 of H6. 2.

FIG. 4 is substantially a section taken on line 44 of FlG. 2 with the cam omitted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective View of the slide and cam arrangement of my invention; and

FIG. 6 is a plan View of the hub of my clutch taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 1 with pins 17 and 18 removed.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown an input shaft it) which will be connected to a motor and gear boxes (not shown) and an output shaft 11 operable with a jack screw for elevating the canopy, also not shown. The clutch of my invention is generally interposable between these shafts and comprises a hub member 12 having a collar 13 secured to the input shaft by set screwld. The hub is provided with an off-center pivot bore 15 and a smaller bore 16 for receiving a pivot pin 17 and a spring pin iii respectively. Pin 17 is frictionally fitted Within off-center hole 15 and pivotally mounts a pair of shoes 2d and 2 1. Each shoe is provided with an oif-center pivot hole 22. (FIG. 2a) for receiving pivot pin 17, the shoes being rotatable around this pin. The shoes are identical in shape and will be arranged as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings such that their cam-actuated face 2% and 21' are in opposed face-to-face relation and in the same plane.

' In order to achieve this arrangement it will be apparent that one shoe must necessarily be inverted on pin 17. Additionally, each shoe has cemented therewith a friction 3,151,272 Patented Dec. 15, 1964 material lining as indicated at L, the shoes additionally being provided with a generally flat spring-actuated surface 2%" and 2 1" on shoes 20 and 21 respectively, against which a torsion spring 24 bears, the spring being carried by spring pin 13. The pressure exerted by spring 24 against the shoes 20 and 2-1 causes one of the shoes to frictionally engage a drum 25 secured to output shaft 11 by set screw 26, the drum being concentrically proximately disposed about the shoes. Depending upon the direction of rotation of input shaft it? which rotates the off-centrally mounted shoes, either the lining L of shoe 20 or 21 will frictionally engage the drum to cause its rotation. More specifically, if the shoes are rotating clockwise in FIG. 2, looking down on the device, the upper portions of the lining of shoe 2i will be centrifugally displaced by virtue of its off-centered arrangement to thereby engage the drum and cause rotation of the drum. Similarly, if the shoes are rotatin counterclockwise, the lining of shoe 21 will engage the drum to cause its rotation.

Referring again to PEG. 1, pivot pin 17 and spring pin 18 are supported in hub 12 and are fitted at their upper portions with a clutch plate or back-up plate 27. Spring pin 18 will be force fitted into bore 15 of hub 12 While pivot pin 17 is prevented from escaping the hub by a pin 29 extending transversely of the hub and through the pin 17. ring 23 serves to maintain shoes 21, 2t and the plate 27 operably connected to pin 17.

in Flt-GS. 3 and 4, the configuration of the shoes are clearly illustrated, the latter figure showing the spatial relationship between torsion spring 24 and surface 26" of shoe obtained by means of a generally circular hole generally centrally of the shoes (FIG. 2a).

in FIG. 5, a slide provides a central passage 32 axially therethrough for receiving collar 13 of hub 12, the slide being caused to rotate with the hub by means comprising an elongate keyway 33 provided in passage 32, another keyway (PEG. 1) in collar 13 and a key member insertable therebetween (not shown). Extending upwardly from slide 31 is a cam 35 such that, upon actuation of a solenoid 36, the entire slide assembly and the cam is depressed a an entity, the downwardly converging surfaces 37 and 3% of cam 35 being wedged into shoe faces Eli and 21' to retract the shoes against the force exerted by torsion spring 24, and releasing or disengaging the clutch.

Specifically, the downward movement of the slide is responsive to the actuation of solenoid 36, held immovable to a casting (not shown) which will surround the entire clutch mechanism, to cause plunger 39 and a cross bar 4b to move upwardly. The outer ends of a pair of pivot links r1-1 are similarly secured to the aforementloned casting, their inner ends being pivotally mounted to lever arms 42-42. The arm 42-d2 pivotally interconnect the cross bar db and slide 31 through a second pair of pivot links 4343 which also serve as slide guides by having their inner ends provided with bearings 44-44 which ride within a grooved annulus 45 disposed generally centrally transversely of the slide 31. It is apparent therefore, since pivot links ll-41 and solenoid 36 are held fast to the casting, that any vertical movement of plunger 39 will produce a generally opposite directional movement in slide 31.

As clearly illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings, hub 12 is provided with a cut-away portion 46 to permit free downward movement of cam 35 (FIG. 5) such that its cam faces 37 and 38 may bear against surfaces 20' and 21' of the shoes.

In the operation of my inventive self-energizable clutch mechanism, any rotation of the input power shaft will cause the hub, slide and cam to rotate therewith. The shoes are capable of being rotated around the pivot pin by virtue of a non-tight fit therebetween and the off-centered arrangement. Were the pivot pin to be centrallyrdis- 1 posed, it is apparent then that the pin could rotate without imparting the desired motion to the shoes. However, by my novel oficentered arrangement, the shoes will be caused to swing or rotate around the pivot pin in a direction in which the hub rotates. As aforementioned, one of the shoes linings will then frictionally engage the drum. Release of the device is occasioned by the simple actuation of the solenoid.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided a clutch which is self-energizable and which can be made releasable upon the expenditure of a minimum amount of power. The parts are'so arranged to form a compact unitary device requiring no heavy parts. The axially off-set cam member is of insuflicient weight to produce imbalance of the device, and further, the selfenergizable and releasable features of my clutch is equally operable irrespective of the direction of rotationvof the input shaft.

I claim:

1. A self-energizable clutch device comprising in comsaid shoes for urging one of said shoes outwardly to engage said drum upon rotation of the input shaft, a slide secured to said hub generally axially therebelow for rotation therewith, a cam fixed to and extending upwardly adjacent the outer periphery of said slide, said carn providing a pair of downwardly converging faces, means for imparting vertical movement to said slide whereby a downward movement thereof will cause said cam faces to wedge against said shoe cam-actuated surfaces to disengage said shoe engaged against said drum.

2. The device as described in'clairn 1 further characterized by said hub having a cut-away portion adjacent its outer periphery to permit the passage of said cam freely therethrough.

input shaft and including a first bore and an off-center bore, a pair of identical shoes disposed in inverted relation above said hub and providing a pair of opposed carnactuated surfaces and a pair of spring-actuated surfaces, each of said shoes additionally providing a first hole aligned with and of larger diameter than said first hub.

boreland an off-center hole aligned with said off-center hub bore, adrum affixed to the output shaft concentrically proximately arranged about said shoes, a spring pin snug of said first shoe holes, a pivot snugly disposed in said ofi-center hub bore and extending upwardly of said offcenter shoe holes, a spring around the spring pin disposed generally in said first shoe holes, said spring exerting pressure against the spring-actuated surfaces of each of within said first hub bore and extending upwardly of each 3. The device of claim 1 further characterized by a friction material lining cemented to the outermost portions of each of said shoes.

4. The device of claim 1 further characterized by a plate member disposed over said shoes, said plate being provided with mating holes for axially receiving said spring pin and said pivot pin. 7

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for imparting vertical movement to said slide comprises a solenoid and lever arms articulating between said plunger and slide.

6. The device of claim 5 further characterized by said slide having a transverse grooved annulus generally intermediate its ends, and said lever arms having cooperating pivot links which include a bearing end slidable within said annulus.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 658,520 9/00 Abel l9252 

1. A SELF-ENERGIZABLE CLUTCH DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION WITH A ROTATING INPUT POWER SHAFT AND AN OUTPUT SHAFT, A HUB SECURED TO AND MOUNTED CENTRALLY ABOVE SAID INPUT SHAFT AND INCLUDING A FIRST BORE AND AN OFF-CENTER BORE, A PAIR OF IDENTICAL SHOES DISPOSED IN INVERTED RELATION ABOVE SAID HUB AND PROVIDING A PAIR OF OPPOSED CAMACTUATED SURFACES AND A PAIR OF SPRING-ACTUATED SURFACES, EACH OF SAID SHOES ADDITIONALLY PROVIDING A FIRST HOLE ALIGNED WITH AND OF LARGER DIAMETER THAN SAID FIRST HUB BORE AND AN OFF-CENTER HOLE ALIGNED WITH SAID OFF-CENTER HUB BORE, A DRUM AFFIXED TO BE THE OUTPUT SHAFT CONCENTRICALLY PROXIMATELY ARRANGED ABOUT SAID SHOES, A SPRING PIN SNUG WITHIN SAID FIRST HUB BORE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY OF EACH OF SAID FIRST SHOE HOLES, A PIVOT SNUGLY DISPOSED IN SAID OFF-CENTER HUB BORE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY OF SAID OFFCENTER SHOE HOLES, A SPRING AROUND THE SPRING PIN DISPOSED GENERALLY IN SAID FIRST SHOE HOLES, SAID SPRING EXERTING PRESSURE AGAINST THE SPRING-ACTUATED SURFACES OF EACH OF SAID SHOES FOR URGING ONE OF SAID SHOES OUTWARDLY TO ENGAGE SAID DRUM UPON ROTATION OF THE INPUT SHAFT, A SLIDE SECURED TO SAID HUB GENERALLY AXIALLY THEREBELOW FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, A CAM FIXED TO AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY ADJACENT THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID SLIDE, SAID CAM PROVIDING A PAIR OF DOWNWARDLY CONVERGING FACES, MEANS FOR IMPARTING VERTICAL MOVEMENT TO SAID SLIDE WHEREBY A DOWNWARD MOVEMENT THEREOF WILL CAUSE SAID CAM FACES TO WEDGE AGAINST SAID SHOE CAM-ACTUATED SURFACES TO DISENGAGE SAID SHOE ENGAGED AGAINST SAID DRUM. 